Tutorials

What with odd scraps of polystyrene,and paper card left over from other stuff I thought I`d make some simple little boats up.

( The USS Monitor`s ,Hull A C W can easily be made too. )

What follows is my crude way at creating boats of all shapes and sizes. Built from the water level up,so all are flat bottom built.

Two hull shapes marked out and cut at a slight angle.

The cut out is removed.

The two are stuck onto paper card.

These are my Chug- a-lug Boats,not built for speed, and the tiny figures aboard them seem quite well at ease.

The deck has been scribed out on each boat.

Simple pieces cut out that will form the cabin.

Both boats have been stuck onto another piece of polystyrene . When the glue is dry, the hull can be cut and trimmed to the required angle.

Another boat is started which is slightly larger than the others.

All the pieces are quickly stuck together, than when the glue had dried,the hull was further shaped with a very sharp knife.

The top section is stuck onto the first boats.

All the hulls have been primed with black emulsion paint. They are all starting to look like little boats,but of course not model boats. These are just right for the water ways on my 1950`s -1960`s RailwayLlayout.

Another three boats are marked out. These are Narrow Boats,and the little fellow is on the Template used to trace out all the hull sections needed for each boat. Yip! I hope you now find this topic interesting?

A small wedge shaped piece is stuck onto the front,so as the other bit is added it will raise the bow,like on the real working narrow boats.

Any gap that can be seen can be filled in with P V A Glue!

Sad to say I scraped one of the smaller boats, but I`ll replace it quick smart soon.

The three Narrow Boat hulls that sit low in the water when fully loaded,were quickly made and the others I made years ago can now be painted . Update Soon. BB

With the work on the cottage garden,and boat house and now the boats, the plan is moving slowly ahead,like the winding tall tale of the river itself. Yes it seems stories ,or storeys if you wish can come in many parts.

So,as the mid day shadows fall upon The river Longbottom,a river I leave to your imagination ,after all you can`t expect that I do all the work required in one single day. This scene being just a jiggle about ,to define further fresh idea`s of new works ahead. Like the river bank`s!

Work is ongoing on both the boat house and several boats,and colour is now being applied to them as I type this. Yes ,the other hand being oddly occupied with a Dip,Slap, Dash,Splash, Dancing Brush of Total ,Diversity ! Detail will of course be added to each tiny boat,and all will float upon a simply stretch of water. BB

I Managed to take time out today to almost complete this sturdy little craft, designed and made for the canal on the Honeywell Layout. The raised canal will be shown later.

All the bits & pieces are soon stuck in place.

The portholes will be made larger once the glue has all set hard. Why? Well larger holes weaken the card to much making it a real pain to stick in place, but once stuck in place the pilot holes are easy to enlarge without any problems using a small paint brush handle poked through and turned a few times.

The rudder`s steering handle is just a simple bent pin!

The cargo made from off cuts of paper card & wire. The last bundles stuck slightly at an angle which is more pleasing to the eye.

Blue

So this has been the upper construction of the first narrow boat. She will carry wood up my canal to Mr Tongue & his Partner Mr Grove ,Wood Merchants. I Just need to paint ,and add some more detail,like old Rope & Canvas ,Old Advertising boards,and Old Rubber Tires hung from her sides,and of course tiny figure conversions. BB

By now just how the boats are made should be quite clear.So I have reach a point where I wish to expand this topic slightly,and what follows will explain this more fully. OK?

A strecthed out canvas over the Gargo! Simply Paper! This will be added later.

As you can see work is ongoing on another three Narrow Boats,and they are ready for detail to be added. Rudders,Hatch Covers,Smoke Stacks.Gargo,more Canvas,& Rope are the next job on the list.

The one painted in S M Black is ready for base colours to be added,then more detailed work can be carried out. I use the black because it hardens the paper card and makes it Really Tuff. Dropping these on my stone floor today caused no damage what`s so ever. If they had been Resin or flimsy plastic it would have been Curtains for these little boats. The last final touch will be to paint names on all these boats.

I have been very busy working on other stuff too,and as I have stacks of the stuff needed for my raised Canal , that is nearing completion I thought I`d make a tiny Diorama with a few bits, and pieces left over.

All the boats and model buildings will go on my larger layout,along with more figures. So this Base will be binned when it has been shown complete here on the Forum and my Blog. BB

My Static Grass Applicator work`s fine,and a kind fellow on E Bay,made it up for me about four years ago. He did a very tidy neat job of work on it,and saved me time making one myself. It cost around £20`s as I recall,which was a lot cheaper than if I made it.

A WARNING! These pack a Powerful Wack of Electricity. The power must be discharged after switching it off. To discharge it I just place the tea strainer part onto the pin or nail that I`ve used on the piece of work,it sparks slightly and it is then safe for me to reboxe it. Believe me if you just switch it off and then touch any part of the metal you`ll get a shock! I know this well because it happened to me.IT PACKED SUCH A WACK! If there is interest out there,I will go through my E Bay history of which I have tons of,to see if the Seller still has a shop on there. Just let me know please. BB

There are a few books in view,because I`m using them to keep the Base flat, and avoid it bending up at this stage.

The strips are stuck in place along with a couple of triangle pieces too. Other strips off paper card have been added to the sloop of the Roof on both sides too. Further shaping work will require the use of my very sharp new craft knife,Mrs B kindly bought me. Which is Nice! Detail to the Walls ,and Thatched Roof can proceed once the required shape has been achived.

It looks a bit grubby at present due to the colour wash I`m doing on other stuff. Well its sticky stuff and gets onto your fingers.( Should have washed my hands ) I`ve also added a simple stone surround Gothic style Window,and a new stone surround to the entrance of this place. BB

In 1956 ,I was 7 years of age,and so what follows is an element of my younger life.

I can remember far to well, being scolded by a Teacher with an over active wagging finger of such outstanding reproach,because I had painted my river Green. "It should be Blue! Not Green!" She said while critically reprimanding me,and I had thought at the time,that hot steam might well have vented out from her very overlarge boiling ears.Criticizing me further still in front of the whole laughing class,during her cold heart lecture of why it had to be so. I made a rather timmed mention of a certain fact,"I was on the river in a boat yesterday Miss,with my Mom,and I was told that the river was a rather muddy green."______"Nonsense Boy!" She Shouted! It was at that time, of my Dear Mom being called a Liar,that I most dearly felt like kicking her this dogmatic princepiled teacher in her left leg. But fright is a wonderful overpowering thing,and so silently i did not. The Little boat did exist,but sunk upon another day. So well full up with Green Muddy Water it was left where it was for quite some time. Eventually The Lady May was raised up ,and given to the Local Sea Cadets who repaired Her and who sailed her upon the Norfolk Broads for many a year. BB

Now 2015,and I am 66 years young,well at heart anyway, and still am painting such waters green.I have long searched through endless model Boat & Ship Sites on Line,and finally came to the conclusion that I make my own flat bottom riverboats, especially those pertaining to Cabbages & Kings! So much more larger ones, but quite within this scale will I firmly believe ,Steam over the Horizion. BB

I finally remembered why I had made the old rubber tyres ,and the other bits and bobs below.

They are to be fixed onto the sides of my tiny boats.

Made from Greenstuff and wire.

The wire was wound a few times around a pin. Then the pin was removed, and the protectors glued in place. When the glue had hardened dry, the pins were pushed through the coiled wire and well into the Hull. Then in turn each pin was removed, cut to required length, and touched up with a spot of glue and then pushed in place through the coiled wire again. Another Job done!

The boat has no name yet,but here She is upon her way along a raised canal ( 30 foot high in this scale. ) Inspite of having no natural aptitude for it,Giggle Giggle! The little fellow is my own work.

Well I pinched half of one of my railway bridges which normally has track laid on it,and raised the boats up on a couple of polystyrene off cuts.

The other working Narrow Boats will have old Rubber Tyres fixed into place onto their sides. BB